


Morning Glory

by symphonia



Series: Hanakotoba (A Ginzura 'Language of Flowers' Collection) [1]
Category: Gintama
Genre: Drama, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, apparently an unexpected proposal took place at one point, but this is going somewhere, gintoki being whipped for zura, i was this )( close to writing bottom gintoki but i refrained, it's really mostly fluff and just a bit of angst at the beginning, this gave me Emotions, this was pure fluff when i started writing it, zura being overemotional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29322423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symphonia/pseuds/symphonia
Summary: Another day passes as usual for Gintoki.It has been months since the mysterious murder of the fourteenth Shogun. A day in which the Edo police pulled forward every force into one single target: Katsura Kotarou, putting a price on his head.'A terrorist, a murder, a scum'he hears everyday and acts as if no words get to him, as if he believes they are true.  As if there's nothing left for him to protect, as if the sole sight of the most-wanted man in Edo doesn't bring him down to his knees.______or: Katsura is falsely accused of a murder and has to flee from Edo, leaving everything and everyone he cares about behind. That, unfortunately, includes the person he promised to stay beside for the rest of his life.
Relationships: Katsura Kotarou/Sakata Gintoki
Series: Hanakotoba (A Ginzura 'Language of Flowers' Collection) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153838
Comments: 16
Kudos: 21





	1. Chimes

**Author's Note:**

> Why do I think someone's going to read this at all in 2021?

_ Was there a way back? _

By the time he finds the person he wants to spend his whole life with, he realizes he has been there all along. So he chases, for a chance, for a hope to have all he didn't know he needed before.

It's an embarrassing sentiment, he would rather die than confess this to him; but embarrassment doesn't stop the feeling of longing and expectation when the sun sets and Gintoki catches a glimpse of a certain fake monk going back home, a view he had been finding himself looking for in the last few months, a view he finally gets one day, all the way from the second floor in his home in Kabukicho.

Katsura's hair shines like black amber, and so does the half smile hidden under his straw hat. He knows Gintoki can see him, but doesn't dare say a word.

Silent, they share solitude. Katsura makes a sign to the sky.

"Ah, there you are, Gin-san. If you're going out, please leave the door closed or the bugs will start to come inside." Shinpachi says as he stands at the door. In the time Gintoki gives a glimpse at the boy, Katsura is gone.

A short snort comes out of his lips as he turns to pat the boy's head a few times, before heading to the stairs. "Sorry, sorry. Go home already, kid. See you tomorrow, thanks for your hard work." He dismisses in a rather fond tone. Brief, as he is not looking to spend more time than necessary now that the opportunity rises.

When he gets to the back alley, a few hints of orange can still be seen among the roofs and paper doors. Even though no one walks this particular path, there's still dim noise coming from the different bars now open in the main street.

"Still hiding?" He dares ask when he catches a figure resting against the wall, silently watching his surroundings.  _ Can he really joke about this?  _ He steps closer, giving it time.

"The walls have ears, Gintoki." He responds, maintaining the immaculate posture and aloof stand, the white-haired man changes his expression, sensing his words as a sign of discretion, but dismisses it as such when he sees his smile again.

It amuses him the simplicity of the answer, too straightforward in Gintoki's opinion. He's right in front of the other man when he adds, "Have you ever cared for such things, Zura?" A gleam of childishness shines on his eyes, he allows himself to be like this only when in front of him.

"I have to." And to that, Katsura takes his staff to prop the hat up, finally meeting him face to face. Gintoki's heart seems to skip a bit. "They have ears, however, they don't have eyes." 

A silent consent. Resting one on top of each other, he leaves both items aside, and only then one hand goes to the white cloth hanging over the samurai's torso to pull him in. This is the only time he allows himself to be this rough with actions towards Gintoki, who seems to be infatuated with the idea of politeness the Joi leader always shows towards him.

The other hand lightly touches Gintoki's jawline with the tip of his fingers when he says, "Not Zura, I'm Katsura." He corrects, out of pride and intimacy. He wants to hear it from him as well, although he had never said so before. Chimes sound afar when Gintoki says his name.

"Noted." He obliges nonetheless, grabbing his wrists and guiding them to settle around his neck. And he loves every second of it. He is enamoured with the idea of the other man's arms wrapped around his neck, to which will only follow the so awaited for touch of their lips. They share countless stolen kisses from each other. Needy, hungry, full of purpose. And Gintoki says it in whispers, as many times as the other man wants to hear it, small hints of air that call no other but him.

_ Katsura. _

It's their secret, and their world: a dusty alley.

To never have a beginning is the amusing part about their relationship. Words of the past, the present and their unknown future, being shared along with alcohol or night drunkenness is what led them to this place. Jokes, fights, memories and very unexpected realizations of the same thought: "I think it’s okay if it's with you."

Katsura leans against the wall when Gintoki's arms wrap around his waist, a tight embrace he's not willing to let go. His head tilts back and soft sighs fill his mouth when Gintoki starts kissing down his jawline and neck. It occurred to Katsura that the rush of emotions this man gives him never ceases to exist, despite the time he has been accustomed to them. So he holds him tight, he holds him dear.

Motions start to become lethargic when Gintoki places one last kiss on his shoulder and rests his chin there. He hears it like rain falling against the window, solitary as one can be: Katsura's silent sobs.

But he says nothing and lets him do. At some point in the past, Gintoki promised himself to catch Katsura when he fell, as the other man had done for him countless times. He didn't need to protect him, Katsura was strong enough to guard his own soul; but he needed to support the weight of the world around him, in order to safeguard his happiness. 

"It’s good to see you again, Gintoki." Katsura says in a small voice, as if nothing bothered him, slowly moving to cup Gintoki's face in his hands. "Listen, I'm... I still don't know when-"

Gintoki cuts him off this time with a kiss, he doesn't want to hear it from him. He doesn't care about the fight against the shogunate for subduing, the persecution towards former samurai groups, he doesn't need to know about the rebellion or the price on Katsura's head that has led him to abandon Edo until his name is forgotten. 

He doesn’t need to hear that Katsura is still in danger every single day.

He doesn't need any of that. What he needs is to know that the person he holds dear to his heart is not going to leave for the night; that these few hours together can mend somehow words not said for long, touches not delivered, and months of being apart while hanging by a thread, before Katsura disappears again for god knows how long.

"You don't owe me an explanation." Gintoki whispers, leaning to his touch. "It's what you have to do." He firmly believes, as he slowly leans in to touch foreheads and close his eyes. He sighs dimly, and brushes his lips against the other’s. The next words are pleading, “Just tonight,” he asks, “just let me have you for tonight, okay?”

And when he opens his eyes again to seek some agreement, Katsura is no longer trying to hide the pain of his decisions. The soft smile is still shining on his lips, his eyes are hardly devoting to anything else but this sight of Gintoki. This time he manages to stop any tears from coming down, he decides a man’s tears need to have the meaning of all lost hope, and Katsura hasn’t lost his quite yet. “For tonight.” he agrees, because he cannot allow himself to promise more than that, not if he wants to make it to Minato without being caught. 

But that sole promise is what fuels Gintoki’s entire spirit for the unknown time he will have to wait in the dark, hoping everyday that Katsura is still alive.

So he holds onto it as long as he can. Empty sounds and loud hearts speaking for every word that doesn’t come out of their mouths; it doesn’t matter to Gintoki if there’s a part of his character that he isn’t hiding properly, and it doesn’t matter to Katsura if his strong composure is gone along with the rest of him when he gives himself to the other man. Under the covers, they feel the warmth of two bodies against each other, softness and roughness contrasting for every touch and movement. But there’s sentiment, there’s nothing but affection behind it. Whatever action that might be related to lust, tonight is a promise of being part of each other, of being each other’s everchanging ‘always’.

  
  


But no matter how much he wants to hold onto Katsura, nothing will change the fact that Gintoki will wake up alone at 4AM; the window wide open, two blue and white  _ asagao  _ placed next to his futon. Silence.

* * *

"I'm telling you, I don't know where he is." Gintoki blurts out, annoyed. He is sitting on the couch, arms crossed over his chest and one leg over the other. Shinpachi is sitting next to him, while Kagura is leaning back and forth on his desk chair to try and maintain balance. “Have you not looked in every room of the apartment already?”

In front of him, very three familiar faces stare right back at him: the Shinsengumi three in-command officials. To say the least, they appear displeased at this answer. 

Kondo is the first one to talk, trying to manage the situation as calmly as possible. “We have been informed that Katsura Kotarou visited Kabukicho last night, he was seen wandering around the bar alleyways, wearing monk robes. Taking into account that you both are acquaintances, it wouldn’t be a far reach to assume that you met. I advise you to tell us whatever information you have, as small as it might be.”

The samurai remains silent, letting out another sigh as if tired of giving the same explanation over and over again. He looks away, trying to gather the composure not to give a simpler and more violent answer. 

And  _ how _ does he want to. Because it pains him to no end to admit the truth: he does not know. Even if he were to tell them, he wouldn’t know where in the world Katsura Kotaro stands right now.

“There’s no way he could have entered here without anyone missing on it. I mean, there are signs everywhere now, aren't there?...” Shinpachi adds, letting his best attempts to meddle on plain sight. 

“You already know what kind of situation this is.” he warns, “This is nothing like the allegations he had before. Helping a terrorist is one thing for you, but helping a murderer...”

“He already told you we haven’t seen Zura, you dumbass gorilla. Get it already.” Kagura adds without looking at any of them, voice loud and clear. 

The First Division Captain clicks his tongue while having no trouble placing his weapon right towards the girl. “Watch your mouth, China.”

But Kagura gives him no response, she seems rather too interested in the view of the ceiling and the pickleweed in her hand to be giving the intruders any more attention than that. Is at times like this that Gintoki knows he has left some of his frustration rub on the girl; actions and ways, he always ends up finding a reflection when he looks at her. 

And he is sorry for letting that happen, but he is too far ahead to mend it now.

“Kagura-chan!” the boy quickly shushes her, turning again to the three men. “We’re sorry, but we really have no more information about it, so could you please leave?”

“Chief!” a fourth voice calls from the hall, getting everyone’s attention towards the door.

Gintoki can’t help but to open his eyes wider for a second at the sight, barely managing not to say a word. There stands Yamazaki, holding a fingerless white glove.

Hijikata is the first one to move, walking towards the door and grabbing the object in his hand. When he turns around, a crooked smile draws on his face, towards him.

“Looks like it’s time to start talking, Sakata”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Tempest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hopefully the length of this chapter makes up for it.

Katsura enters the underground shelter in Minato surrounded by loud shouts from his followers; after the police made the persecution public, different rebel groups started to take interest in the Joui leader. He continuously stated that it was a mistake, that he was innocent of the murder imputed on him. But, no matter how many times he repeats this fact, words that only seem to reach deaf ears.

"We're going to stop them here," he speaks and the room goes quiet. About thirty people surround the round table holding a large map of Edo on top of it. Katsura, in the middle, points to an intersection in the main avenue, following the road marked in red afterwards, “they will have backup waiting from this street on, so be careful if you have to retreat. We don’t want any captures or casualties today; be smart when approaching.”

The plan is fairly simple. 

Upon the fall of the shogunate, the government asked Amanto for reinforcement to protect their main entities. In exchange, they offered counterfeiting their shipment documentations to what was basically overlooking most of the limitations other nations faced when dealing with the Country of Samurai. As a result, they gave the foreign force free access to any contraband that dared touch the land.

One particular negotiation caught Katsura’s attention, a cargo coming from overseas that allowed heavy weaponry to be delivered specifically for the use of controlling masses that opposed the naming of the next Shogun. 

And as his... No, as  _ their _ Joui faction’s duty was to protect the voice of the people, they were going to personally make them disappear, making sure the cargo never reaches its destiny.

“I trust you.” Katsura tells his comrades, looking up and facing each and every one of them. “Let’s clean this rotten nation.” They cheer in agreement and, in a matter of minutes, every faction is moving towards the exit to reach the centre of the city. 

Staying behind for a few moments, Katsura allows himself to think about him once more, making a silent promise. It’s the same one that he has been making for the past years before any fight.  _ What irony holds these words _ that, without knowing, fate has chosen to make actions from. 

_ ‘We will meet again.’ _

* * *

  
  


It’s almost night time when Gintoki steps out of the Shinsengumi. Interrogation has never been an easy situation to deal with, but somehow luck seems to be enough on his side to let the police take part in other matters that needed more attention. 

Dismissive as always, Gintoki is about to exit the building when a large group of policemen rushes past him towards Kondo's office. 

_ "He's there! Move!"  _ He hears and his feet stop instantly, remaining static under the sole idea that luck may not really be on his side at all.  _ "The Minato ambush was led by Joui groups! Katsura's there!" _

_ No, it isn't one single bit on his side. _

So he makes a run for it. When the police sirens start going off along with black and white cars leaving the station, he makes sure to follow the path. He doesn't know if he will get there in time, but  _ he has to try _ .

And going fast enough, he pushes back the thought of  _ what exactly _ he has to get there in time for. He never wants to hear it, not even coming from himself.

He just runs.

  
  


The city lights make his path more complicated, he passes through crowds that struggle to run the opposite direction, getting as far as they can from the turmoil. When he hears uproar, he knows he’s close.  _ Close _ , but just not close enough. 

He crosses the main avenue towards the armored trucks surrounded by numerous samurai being cornered by the police. Some fighting, some resisting arrest; and no sight of Katsura. 

That is, until he hears an explosion, not far from where he’s standing. Following with his eyes, he finds a small group of men stepping down one of the trucks and running away, weaponry loot on his hands. The person guiding them is confronting the police by himself, making defense rather than attack strategy. He has at least four people solely on him when trying to stop them from following his comrades.

His movements look practiced and skillful, clean as not many samurai can brag to be. But he is just one against many, many more. And he is not just one, he is  _ the  _ one they’re looking for.

_ How could they ever find a way back? _

Gintoki doesn’t think twice before wielding his wooden sword and going towards him, managing to stop two men from attacking Katsura from behind. And, while the man himself turns for a second to recognize the face of his helper, he finds no other than the one he would stand a million fights with.

The once called White Demon lets out a sigh after successfully pushing them back, trying to recompose his breath between the run and the scare he got from the surprise attack. Still, he gives a good second to find Katsura’s eyes and let him know he’s there. That, no matter what, he will always have his back.

“Did you finally decide to rejoin the cause, Gintoki?” Katsura asks, resting his back against the other man’s while pointing his sword forward.. 

Gintoki clicks his tongue, shaking his head in a rather mindless negation. “I only fight for what I believe in.” He responds, and there is no need to say more before they resume their respective fights. One is to hold back the police from catching up to them, the other is to protect what he treasures the most. “You should have left.” Gintoki adds, while stepping away to keep the path clear. 

But Katsura doesn’t seem concerned with these words and, instead, he laughs. Softly, and forgiving, and everything only Katsura can be simultaneously. “I fight for what I believe in as well, my friend.” A sharp noise sounds to Gintoki’s side, but this time, Katsura is there to stop a sword originally aimed at him. 

Together, it looks like a meticulous dance; the art of  _ kenjutsu _ is beautiful when performed by the disciples of Shouyou.

But Gintoki deep down knows, this is no longer the land of Samurai. When a gun is pointed directly at Katsura’s head, he and his sword are nothing more than defeated pawns. So he steps forward and makes due with what he has: a body of his own and a soul that will never wither.

The bullet lands on Gintoki’s shoulder instead and he growls in pain, unintentionally letting go of his sword to grasp his arm with the opposite hand. The yell is enough to make Katsura turn towards the other man, lowering his guard for just enough time to give the ‘enemy’ the upperhand. 

“Gintoki, careful-!”

In a matter of seconds, both of them are thrown to the ground facing down. Swords are pointed at their heads from different directions. Katsura barely raises his to look at Gintoki; he’s bleeding and Katsura, for a second, feels at loss of what to do.

He just knows he has to get to him, no matter what.

But before he can even motion towards him, a shoe steps on the back of Katsura’s head, pushing down, while a hand grips on his long hair to pull it upwards, as if to check if the face corresponds to the name. 

“Found you.” Hijikata says, in a rather amused tone.

* * *

When Gintoki gets thrown in the cell, it’s pitch dark. 

He has a bandage around his arm and shoulder, and his white robe hangs from the other side of his body, still covered in blood stains. He lets out a sigh when the door closes behind him, and steps inside. 

It takes him a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, so he looks at an arbitrary point in the room when raising his voice. "Zura, are you there?" he asks immediately.

The man in question has been sitting on the floor, handcuffed to the wall for a while now, staring down whenever an officer pays a visit, not willing to collaborate with any of their interrogations, which is why he doesn't recognize Gintoki until he speaks up. 

A soft, regretful smile draws on his face when he sees him standing there, just silently thanking any god he has left to believe in that Gintoki is okay. "Here." He calls and, even in the dark, his eyes struggle to check up on Gintoki's injury.

The injured man notices this and smiles in return, crunching down when in front of him to face him properly. "There you are." Gintoki whispers relievedly. A hand instantly goes to stroke on his cheek bone with his thumb. "How's it going?" And the teaseful voice hides away every hint of pain he has towards seeing Katsura like this.

"Your arm, how is it?" Katsura manages to say when in sight of the bandage, visibly worried. 

"It's okay." He replies, without giving it much thought, "They took the bullet out and then arrested me, a real joy-killer if you ask me, but what can you do." he dismisses, letting the same hand now wave in front of him as to not give it much thought. Later he rests both forearms on his knees.

"Gintoki, I'm sorry..." He starts, and his eyes shine with a rather melancholic emotion to the white-haired man. This too, he doesn’t want to hear it.

So he sighs, looking equally curious and attentive at him. "About what?"

It surprises Katsura the nature of this question, leaving him in silence for a second before responding hurriedly. "For getting you into all of this mess. It is what you said, I should have left." And he can’t help it but feel the guilt weighing down on his shoulders; he never once intended Gintoki to fight his own fights. It felt wrong, wrong and shameful to let him continue.

But Gintoki just lets out another sigh and looks back at his own arm, as if this was the reason for all of Katsura’s overthinking.. "You know it takes more than a bullet to harm me” 

He watches as Katsura’s hands make a fist at each side, struggling with the idea of being the source of any pain in the other man’s life. "I don't want you to be at any risk at all." He explains, looking for some understandment.

_And how much did Gintoki understand the sentiment?_ With a faint smile, he responds, "Now you know how I've been feeling for the past months, every single day."

Full of surprise, and what is nothing but regret, his eyes no longer shine."I'm-"

"Katsura, stop apologizing." Gintoki cuts him off, and for once, he does not dismiss a talk, but rather, gives his opinion with a secure and steady voice, "I don't need your apologies, what I need is to know that you will be okay even if you're not at my reach. I've… Given this a lot of thought, and I can never come to terms with the fact of not being certain of whether you are safe or not.. I would... Even if it takes for me to join your stupid faction, I would so it, if that means I get to be with you when you need me."

The words surprise Katsura to the point of astonishment. He says nothing, but looks at Gintoki with wide open eyes for a while, at this proposition. It takes some time for him to find the right words, because those given to him had such genuine intention behind it, that Katsura felt like no others could be enough to reciprocate. What Gintoki was telling him right now is that he would give up his current life to be by his side, something Katsura would never ask of him, at any moment.

Yet, he cannot help but think ‘ _ Me too’, with an aching heart. _

So he tries, hard enough, to find a way to convey it. "This... I thought I would always be fighting the same old fights until there would come a time in which I find justice. What I have always aimed to do is to seek some peace of mind.” he explained, calm as ever, “Knowing we did not fight a purposeless war back then; that the efforts we all made did not go to waste, I wanted to protect those promises of change, even if the only one that didn’t change along the way was myself.” He admits, and catches Gintoki trying to reply back at that, but, with a simple look, he stops him and keeps going. 

“I cannot say I’m satisfied with how things are right now, or that my ideals have been met with how things work in this country, but... It seems that I no longer pursue rebellion as my priority, I have been giving it a lot of thought too. It comes at a time for every man to choose what’s best for his own life, right?." He asks, and the red eyes he adores look back at him in confusion, "And for me, it’s you. I choose you." he finishes.

"Now, now... “Gintoki says in disbelief, “What do you mean by that?" he asks, afraid of his own thoughts going up and above at the implications of those words. 

"Come here." Katsura responds instead, making a gesture with his head. Gintoki leans in to oblige, resting his knees to the floor to get more balance.

At this moment, for Gintoki, Katsura speaks in music and chimes, soft and symphonic. Or maybe it’s just the words he uses, words he never thought he wanted to hear from him. "Neither of us have parents or anyone to reach an agreement for us anymore, but... I think sensei would give us his blessing just the same." He whispers and catches Gintoki by surprise, even though he thought he was being fairly clear about his intentions.

And, after regaining a newly found calmness, Gintoki lets out a small laugh, eyes full of sweetness and devotion. "Are you seriously proposing to me while handcuffed to a wall, Zura?" he dares ask, making the other man self-conscious and a tad embarrassed by the bluntness of the words.

But Katsura's smile, despite the embarrassment, is light and merry. He nods with a both apologetic and amused look on his face. "You know I have never been one to excel at romance."

"So not romantic, indeed." he teases, and Gintoki’s hand moves slowly to the back of his head, tangling his fingers in the long black hair of his lover, affectionately. "But you know the answer to this... I already chose you long ago, Katsura."

This time, words are embarrassing for him too. Gintoki once thought he would rather die than tell him this; but suddenly it didn’t matter anymore, not when he is in front of the person he wanted to be with, more than anyone. A smile draws itself on his lips when he continues, "So let's spend our lives together, whatever that means and if we ever get out of this one."

Both men laugh dimly, a sound that fades away into a comfortable silence, cut by a small known voice. "Gintoki."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Time seems to stop for a while for them when he says those words and the other man hears them. Silence has always been their concurrent habit, but no words nor silence could ever replace the heavenly feeling of meeting his lips in a slow and passionate kiss. As always, a kiss full of purpose, a kiss full of promises.

"I love you too." Gintoki whispers against his lips and leans in to meet them again. Once, twice, no matter how many times, it feels like the very first for Katsura.

But in the time they feel like the world is nothing but a pitch black cell and them, the sound of a set of keys thrown dismisses said thought.

The door is open when they look up, they find a very familiar silhouette standing there, without giving them a glance back. "There’s a riot right now in the Shinsengumi police station. The police catch everyone attempting to escape except fugitive Katsura Kotarou and Sakata Gintoki, who disappear out of sight after the energy power bank is cut off. Don't ever show your face in Edo again." Hijikata Toshirou says, throwing the filter of his cigarette to the ground and stepping on it right after.

“Can there be more explosions or something like that? Your story is pretty dull.” Gintoki replies in a mocking tone.

“Suit yourself.” he says and leaves, making them finally even.

So that night, Katsura and Gintoki do just that. After a short explanation of how the three of them ended up releasing Gintoki in order to find Katsura, of how they took the main duty in arresting them, in order for Katsura not to be captured by higher ranks and give him a day or two to come up with the idea of how to save him, and just about everything Gintoki did in order to get to him, he just tells it as a quick story while taking the handcuffs off and ‘fleeing’ from the Shinsengumi.

The future has never been more uncertain for both of them, but deep down they know it just might work this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun facts about this chapter when I was writing it:  
> \- The original dialog for Katsura was "let's make this rotten nation clean again", but then I thought it sounded too much like a certain orange person.  
> \- Again, it took much maturity of me not to laugh at the idea of Pokémon trainer Zura when he said "I choose you."  
> \- Hijikata cutting off scenes in this fic is so funny to me, I'm not sure why. He just comes in with one line and changes the whole plot, I'm a fan.  
> \- Just to make sure I'm getting this cheesy point across: What Katsura says is 'aishiteru', and not all of that 'suki' crap-  
> \- I listened to April Showers by Aimer the whole time I was writing this, which was about a day full of just one song my family now hates thanks to me. Anyhow, I think the song really suits their relationship, let me know if you think the same!


	3. Seasons (to come)

It was supposed to be a temporary solution. 

A man in a white yukata and black pants pulls out the fishing rod from the sea as he makes the sixth catch of the morning and calls it a day. It's a good day for fishing, but unfortunately, he has a busy schedule and many things he cannot postpone. This much will be enough to make due for two meals at home, three if he pushes it. 

It’s a long way back home from the bay to the mountains, but it's a peaceful road and he finds himself always enjoying this time of 'leisure' before coming back to his daily routine. Besides, he's not alone.

"I wanted to catch one too!" The boy next to him complains, he is carrying one of the hooks in which a large mackerel hangs from. "Gin-chan, you always lie to me!"

Gintoki just laughs and hangs the fishing rod along with his wooden sword to ruffle his brown and slightly curled hair, "I didn't lie to you, you helped me out holding the rod with me, didn't you? You can't even hold it by yourself yet, how are you planning to pull a struggling fish out of the water?" He asks and changes the handle of the bucket to his other hand. Inside, the other five fishes swim avidly from one place to the other. "You’ll be able to do it when you get older. Have you even lost all of your baby teeth yet?" He sideyes at him with an amused smile.

"Mh... No. " The kid replies, frowning. "But this one is just about to fall!, just wait and s- Wait, what does it have to do with it??!"

"No son of mine is going to be a toothless fisher, now careful with the mackerel, you're dragging it all over the road. That's your lunch and dinner, you know?" Gintoki nags in a calmer tone, patting the seven-year-old’s back. 

"Who says I'm your kid, old man." He complains again and pulls up the fish to tie the thread over his shoulder and hold it properly.. 

Gintoki makes a rather offended expression this time, elbowing the boy to try and annoy him. "With that hair you might as well be, don't break your mother's heart."

Another snort comes out of the kid when he pushes Gintoki’s elbow with his own and says nothing for a few minutes. “You’re weird.” 

And they just keep and keep walking up the road, greeting the people they recognize along the way, buying a few more things they need from the stores they pass by, living their uneventful Wednesday morning. By the time they're almost there, Gintoki warns the boy to clean his mouth properly from any rest of ice cream he was not supposed to be buying him in the first place.

When they get to the top of the mountain, a medium sized traditional construction covered in white walls and dark blue roof meets them and they’re finally home. The sign hanging proudly at the entrance gate reads ‘Keirinkan’, while another one rests towards one of the pillars, much older than the first one, this one reads ‘Yorozuya Gin-chan’.

As expected, when they go inside, they find around ten people organized in three columns, training with their wooden swords avidly, to the rhythm set by one of the students at the front. As they walk towards them, they meet the teacher in charge, standing in a dignified pose at the front, both hands hiding inside his sleeves; his hair tied up in a ponytail, while the wind lightly moves his bangs around.

Both young men and women between the ages of thirteen and nineteen seem to cheer up when they see them enter, but refrain from showing it when they get a sharp glare from their teacher. Gintoki knows the time means he’s having the second youngest generation train for the morning, they can’t help to trail off their samurai training once in a while. 

"Sensei! Look at the fish I caught!!" The boy runs towards the master of the Dojo, beating Gintoki by a few steps, the man lazily walks up to them after leaving the bucket on the floor and the fishing rod over the wooden steps.

"Good job, Sanehiro. Thank you for your hard work today. ” Katsura replies, facing the boy and smiling dimly but proudly at him. “Are you going to help with cooking too?" he adds, tilting his head a little to look at both of them.

The boy cheerfully nods, and Katsura lightly rests his hand on the top of his head, in a rather affectionate way. "That's my boy."

To this, Gintoki can’t help but let out a puff of air, faking a dramatic tone once more, "So he doesn't get a 'Who says I’m your kid' too? Way to break a mother's heart."

And as he insists, he gets a tongue sticking out in his direction, mocking him. "You're embarrassing, Gin-chan, Hiro-kun." 

Katsura lets out a soft laugh and raises his gaze to meet the other man's. "Thank you for your hard work today too, Gintoki." 

"No problem, sensei.” He finally dismisses with a hand gesture, “I can see you're having your own share of hard work with training. I thought they’d be free by now." He adds, resting one hand inside his improperly-worn yukata, as a matter of habit. 

"They seem to be slacking today because of the hot weather, so it's one more round to mend for it." He explains, simply, “still a hundred more to go.”

"You're so mean... Look at them, they’re tired already." Gintoki argues, to which Katsura looks mostly indifferent. He then turns to the group and raises his voice, "Kids, we're having mackerel today! Do you want soba or udon?"

Just as he asks, many different answers come his way; but still, none of them breaks their posture or lacks in their movements. Most of them answer udon.

"Got it, one more round or we're having plain rice, work for it!" he yells, earning some complaints as a response.

Katsura hums next to him, rather disapproving. Throughout the years they’ve been together, Gintoki knows it to be a sign of amusement.

"What? I'm quite mean too, don’t act like you didn’t know that already!" He replies to the group of teens with a rather amused tone.

"Gin-chan! I want both and also make rice for me anyways!" Kagura calls happily, somewhere between the third row of students.

"Two rounds for you then, get moving." He responds simply, taking the handle of the bucket again to resume his chores, just as he hears:

"So we get to eat both if we do two rounds?!" Coming straight from one of the students.

Gintoki, just shakes his head, dismissive and vague, "No, you only get to eat more if you're my kid and a Yato. I’m playing favorites today." He jokes, earning more complaints all over again.

"What about me then?" Sanehiro asks while tugging on Gintoki's robe. He didn’t even see when the boy walked up to him again.

Gintoki raises his eyebrows. "Ah, so  _ now _ you're my kid?"

"Gintoki, the lesson." Katsura reminds him, this time targeting him with one of his well-known sharp glares.

But the white-haired samurai is taking quite a bit of time to drag the subject.  _ Why?  _ Because he can and loves to, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I just got my heart broken, spare me." 

"You know you are well loved by everyone here." The other man responds in a rather plain and matter-of-factly tone.

"Including sensei?" He asks in a beat, a question he cannot miss.

"Gross!"

"What was that? Plain rice for Inamine-kun?" Gintoki asks, giving the now panicky teenager a funny glance before coming back to Katsura.

"Especially by sensei." And the calm tone in which Katsura states this doesn’t even sound like he is saying something emotive at all. It sounds, again, like one more fact out of his lips.

" _ Tch.  _ Kids, close your eyes, public display of affection." He warns, amused.

And, as Gintoki briefly kisses Katsura, overdramatic and scandalized screams sound all around.  _ It's good to be home _ , he thinks.

* * *

It was only supposed to be a temporary solution, but before he knew it, six years had gone by and he found himself truly never wanting to return to Edo. 

The first two years were more like a give and take, in which they made due just to survive and find a decent place to stay. They would take small jobs and disappear from the town they settled shortly after making some money and a reputation of their own. This, until they reached the small town of Toyama, surrounded by mountains and the sea.

A place in which, finally, now one knew them anymore.

Just as they managed to settle down in a small house up the hill, Gintoki came back to Edo one last time for Kagura, who stayed with the Shimuras after much thought on the subject. Gintoki had been reluctant to take her with them, since he didn’t want Kagura to be in danger, so he let her know that it would be rough for quite a while until they could come back. Kagura, just as simple minded as Gintoki, decided that it was best for her to stay there in Edo and run the Yorozuya with Shinpachi for the time Gintoki wasn’t there, while staying with the boy and his sister. Nonetheless, Gintoki had promised to come back for them.

The way these children of his had taken the decision to keep running the Yorozuya, even if it still ached, made him proud of them to no end. Gintoki would come back to Edo every few months to leave Tae some money, to help  _ somehow _ . 

He never met her once in that time, since he didn’t want to hear a negative coming from the girl, but would always make sure to leave a white neveloped hidden in Tae’s room, and a pink  _ asagao  _ by Kagura’s.

Taking their own initiative to make the most of what they had accomplished, Katsura and he decided to make their home a place of work again in Toyama too. And, unintendedly, the word about two samurai helping out in town became a common topic, as well as a rather big interest for younger aspiring men to follow the same path.

This is when Katsura started shining again, coming as the most natural leader of tropes because of his intellect and knowledge. His most devoted followers found him eventually, some of them even settling in the area to revive the soul of their former Joui faction. Katsura would also teach whatever men reached their door on bushido, and soon enough, word spread wide around town. What started as a simple group of strong willed aspiring samurai, ended up being one of the most recognized teaching places in Toyama.

When both Katsura’s classes and Gintoki’s many jobs as Yorozuya made it possible to gather enough money to construct a place to receive their new students, Gintoki knew it was time to come back.

By that time, the once imputation of murder towards Katsura had been cleared once and for all.

For Kagura’s fifteen birthday, Gintoki visited Edo one last time, to take her with him. It was a last for him and Shinpachi, since he stayed to take care of their dojo and her sister, but with the fervent promise of visiting them regularly, and maybe one day stand by their own, with their dojo back on track.

The only thing Gintoki took from Edo was the rather sentimental sign he once made for their Odd Jobs. 

It was luck on their side that made the three of them work for the main clan in town, saving a significant amount of them during a pitfall set by their own kind, which had the head of the Maeda clan offer Katsura a Dojo of his own to teach, as a thank you for all their hard work for the town.

‘Keirinkan’ was the name of their now brand new open dojo; Kagura’s idea along with Gintoki’s few grammatical corrections. It made Katsura a little self-conscious, but taking note of the excitement in both of the creators of said name, he decided to carry the name with pride.

“You don’t get to vote on this, dumb Zura.” was about the most powerful argument coming from the girl.

Before they knew it, both of the samurai had managed to find a way to keep their principles intact, another way of ‘fighting’ for what they believed in, while honouring their past.  _ Would sensei be proud of them?  _ Katsura used to think, when they were able to start taking in students that didn’t have anywhere to go, giving them a place to stay and live for as long as they needed. 

And soon enough there were not only students. But whoever wanted to attend training or stay when in need. Sometimes kids would run from home and stay there, or there were even more complicated instances, like Sanehiro’s situation, in which his family had been torn apart and both of their parents made families on their own. The boy then had found the place by chance, ended up being enamoured with the idea of becoming a samurai; he had then asked his parents to make him a full-time student in Keirinkan, so they could have their own lives, while he had his own. Strong willed as he could be, Sanehiro decided that was his own home now.

And they didn’t have much, but whatever they did, they shared it, they made due with it. It was enough to live, and just as much as they gave, they received back.

They were truly blessed.

* * *

After a long day of cooking, cleaning and helping farm grannies take their rice harvesting back along with Kagura, he is back home, with a big sack of rice as payment. Kagura takes it back to the kitchen and they say goodnight to each other. 

He turns the lights out and everything is wrapped up and ready for the next morning, so Gintoki finally steps into his room, fresh from the bath, messy hair and wearing light robes.

Inside, Katsura is combing his damp hair before tying it up again. The loose robes on him give Gintoki a clear view of the back of his neck, one he is definitely going to kiss after stepping towards him. "Why are you dressing so properly for bed? I'm going to be taking those off anyways."

Katsura turns around to find the other man in front of him "Don't be vulgar." He reprimands, no sign of real annoyment in his eyes. With a sigh, he adds,"You did a lot today, thank you." He then rests his palms on the other man’s shoulders. 'You must be tired."

Gintoki is rather contemptuous at this comment, shaking his head barely in negation "Don't thank me for taking care of my own household, that's just a man's duty, right?"

"I'm just very grateful I got this man to take care of our household." Katsura adds, smiling fondly and genuine.

"Look at us, being all grown up... You know what else grown ups do?" Gintoki implies with a suggestive tone.

This time is Katsura’s turn to just sigh and shake his head in disapproval, a small laugh coming from his lips; he just lets him do and say as he pleases. To this, Gimtoki trails from his jawline to his shoulder with short kisses, affectionate as they can be. In the process, he moves the robes to each side, without untying the part that keeps it together on his waist. The yukata just drops down from his shoulders to half of his arms. 

_ Beautiful,  _ he thinks.

Pale skin meets the blue shade of the moon coming from the window; Gintoki remembers a time in which this would be the last view of Katsura before he left his home back in Edo. But now  _ he knows _ , he knows the man he is sleeping with tonight is going to be by his side just the same the day after and as many as they have to come.

Not long after moving this piece of clothing, Katsura responds calmly, untying Gintoki's robe, letting it hang open over his shoulders. He looks at Gintoki with a special gleam on his eyes, his lips curve up.

"What?" Gintoki asks shortly after.

"What?”

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Can't one just admire his husband?" Katsura answers, plainly.

"Only if you're ready for me to stare back at you like you were a creep." He teases, a mischievous smile on his lips.

"I wasn't staring like a creep." Katsura complains as he hits his arm.

"You missed the drooling but-Ouch! Hey!"

"Shut up already." Katsura dismisses, resting his hands to each side of Gintoki’s face. "What’s with the way you treat me? You used to be so gentle and kind with me… 'Katsura, I'd give my life for you', where's that Gintoki?"

"He got married, settled down and became an old man. His spouse's quite a beauty though, lucky bastard."

" _ Sneaky _ bastard, I would say."

Gintoki just snorts and leans down to place a kiss on his chest, just over his heart. The warmth of Katsura’s skin soothes him like nothing else does. It's simple days like this in which he thanks the skies for the blessing that once came disguising as a curse six years ago, the one that lets him today hold the man he loves in his arms, in the house they built together, surrounded by the mostat dear people to them. In this world, under the same sky,  _ together _ .

And, as Gintoki unties the other man’s hair to let it fall, he says, "Let's live like this for another thousand years, Zura."

Katsura smiles at him, raising Gintoki’s chin to leave a soft kiss on his lips, one that lasts just enough to make Gintoki's stomach flutter.

Soft and calm, he replies, "It's not Zura, it's husband."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's over!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading up until here! Please leave kudos or a comment if you liked it, it really means a lot for me, each and every one of them.
> 
> Some fun facts for today's chapter too:  
> \- 'Keirinkan' (the name of their Dojo) is named after Katsura. Keirin means either katsura forest (as in the tree named katsura) or beautiful forest, kan is just a word for a building/construction.  
> \- The flower for this story was, of course, the Morning Glory, or asagao. Upon many meanings, this one holds the meaning of eternity and mortality, of love and, most important, of willful promises.  
> \- I had no idea they were going get married when I started writing this lmao.  
> \- The song that inspired this entire chapter was Kiro by Aimer, it's really beautiful and I think it also fits pretty well this chapter's mood, so check it out if you want!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, see you next Ginzura fic <3

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on [tumblr.](https://serious-writer.tumblr.com)


End file.
